Norwich church celebrates new centre opening

2010: Work has been completed on a new worship and conference centre seating 250 for Witard Road Baptist Church in Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich, to allow the growing fellowship to expand its activities and services.

This is the second phase of a three phase project to develop the site which was bought by the Baptist Union in the late 1950’s as the Heartsease Estate was being constructed. The current phase will have cost around £350k which has been raised by the congregation by generous giving and fundraising activities. Eventually the original building, which will remain, will be refurbished to be used for other outreach and community activities.

Pastor David Adams said: “As a growing fellowship we have been aware for some time that there are restrictions on the activities we can provide as a result of the age, size and configuration of our current building. It has served the church very well for 50 years but the decision was made and planning permission obtained to further develop the church site. We are thrilled that God has enabled us to reach this point when we can now occupy the new Worship Centre.

“Phase three of the development, which will entail three new meeting rooms, a welcoming area and toilets, is needed for us to really start doing all we want to do, so we are praying that funds will be available for this phase as soon as possible while we continue to do what we can in and through the existing facilities."

Currently Sunday services attract around 100 to 130 people and there is a growing youth work coming under the banner of Urban Saints (formerly Crusaders), the midweek groups for 7-11s and 11-16s in particular are thriving and a new group for 4-7s is beginning in November.

As well as regular activities for men and women, prayer and care groups, other community activities run by the church include: Disabled Christians Fellowship; Scrapbooking, Toddlers; Reel Issues film evenings; Prison Ministry Team and also a team who visit and take a service once a month in the Woodside House care home.